Brazilian Design Today: Frontiers

With Brazilian designers and companies like F. Akasaka and Melissa helping to put Brazil on the map for design (not just street art), there's a lot of talent that's on the brink of making it big, which is the subject of the just-opened exhibit "Brazilian Design Today: Frontiers." Interest in Brazil's arts outside of the traditional cultural symbols is relatively recent, so to celebrate and showcase the variety and contributions of Brazilian design in the 21st century, the show focuses mostly on industrial design but also takes a look at digital mediums.

There are gems aplenty among those 90 picked for the show, from Eduardo Recife's handmade cut-and-paste fonts and Fernando Prado's smart adjustable lamp to Hok Inovacao's clever bid for Denmark's postal service and Osklen's salmon skin shoes. The online catalog is worth the browse to understand how Brazilian design is so different from its counterparts in other countries. .